Mister Romantic

by Alice Cooper

  “What am I supposed to do?” she said quietly.

  “You don’t have to do anything. Just let me love you. Let me know when you are ready. Then marry me and spend the rest of your life with me.”

  She laughed, and he smiled. He’d spend the rest of his life making her laugh. “Oh sure. I just have to marry you. Nothing big.”

  He settled back down in the bed and cradled her as she rested her head on his chest. This felt so right. Being inside her felt right. Having her in his arms felt right. “What do you want to do? I want to do this right so you don’t pack up your stuff and leave me.”

  “I don’t think I could leave you even if I tried,” she whispered. She pressed her lips to his chest, and he felt himself stirring. After all that, he was still ready for her. “I’m nervous, but it has nothing to do with you. I’m not second-guessing you. I feel safe in your arms, but what if I mess this up? What if I’m just some shifter groupie, and your misreading all the signs?”

  He stroked her hair. “There is no misreading you. And if you give me the chance, I’ll prove it to you.”

  After a few moment of silence, she spoke again. “I’m still scared, but I want to hear you say it.”

  He smiled. “I love you, Sage West. You’re meant to be with me. You’re my mate. You’re my happily ever after.”

  She smiled and slung a leg around his. “I thought I would freak out, but I liked hearing it.” She propped herself up and stared at him.

  “And how do you feel about me?”

  “I love you, Davis Weathers. You’re meant to be mine. You’re my soul mate. You’re my happily ever after.”

  Hearing those words made him growl and lift his head to claim her kiss. After a moment, she broke apart. Breathless. “So this is it?”

  “This is it,” he murmured. His sex twitched against her leg, and her eyes widened.

  “Already?”

  “ It’s your own fault. You’re just so damn sexy.”

  She licked her lips hungrily, and he laughed. “Clearly you have no issues with that.”

  “Mine,” she said possessively as she straddled him. “Forever.”

  “Forever,” he agreed, and soon she was riding him back to heaven.

  They were married within a month, and her store opened with great success. She knew without a doubt that every part of her life had led up to this. Had she never spent so much time with Connor, she never would have run so far away. She would have never run into the arms of her true mate.

  Sage Weathers. She was loved and protected. She loved and protected. And she was happy.

  THE END

  UNSEALED DESIRE

  Chapter 1

  “I know exactly your price and the client has given us 50% down with the rest to be delivered upon completion of the assignment. Shelley, I’ll have everything prepared for you. Your passport has already been updated and new identification issued in the name of Kelly Walker. You just need to remember that you’re there for a teaching symposium. All your credentials will be in order and you’ll have an ironclad story that I’ve already updated to your laptop.” “Jackson has always been the one that has kept me going all this time. This is not the type of business that I can get into with someone that doesn’t have my back. He knows that eventually my clock will be punched, but until then he has decided to ride the gravy train with me.

  “Jackson, we both know that anything can happen on any given day. Life is full of surprises and you never know what’s going to be waiting for you around the corner. I will say that I’m glad to have you on my side. If you weren’t, I would be very worried that you were working against me in some way. There have been several organizations that have been trying to track me down without success. I’ve been very careful, my disguises are impeccable and I live by a moral code that I follow every day.”

  Shelley had been working in the field of problem solver for quite some time. It’s been years and even today, she can barely remember how she got started. It came when she was at her lowest point, drug addicted and looking for her next fix. She came across a young man that wanted his wife taken care of. She found that problem solving was something that she was good at and she decided to make a drastic jump in her career choice. She never had anything to tie her down and didn’t have the social skills to really keep a friendship alive for more than a couple of weeks.

  “Shelley, we’ve been playing cat and mouse for some time and eventually we’re going to have to see each other face to face. I know that you’ve been hesitant to do that and I understand that you wanna keep this strictly professional. I’m just saying that I would like to have a face to go with the name.” Jackson was a little worried that things were getting too high profile for his liking. He had heard some stories and he knew just from listening that this was one of her targets that had met their final last breath. “As always, be careful and don’t trust anybody.” As he turned off the microphone to his laptop, he immediately wired the $10,000,000 into her account. It was 11,000,000, but he got that extra 1,000,000 for himself. It would be the same way when the second part of payment came in after the job was completed.

  “This business can be taxing on the best of us, but I recently learned that maybe life has been passing me by. I try to make the best of a bad situation by going to fancy restaurants and enjoying culture, but there seems to be something missing. Some profound puzzle piece that has not permanently made me content and happy is still out there waiting for me to find it. I know that I’ve never been good at relationships, but maybe it’s time to finally find someone to share my life with.” Shelley was packing her clothing, making sure that the attire matched up with the story of somebody that was an educational professional. She wore her hair dark down over her shoulders and with a slight wave. She had a pair of nondescript glasses and her eye color was now permanently changed to that of green. That came courtesy of well placed contacts. It was also a twofold reason, as she did have one eye that was stronger than the other. With these contacts, she could have that 20/20 vision and still do her job without worrying about age creeping up and tapping her on the shoulder.

  She worked alone, never bothering with a partner in the field, because she learned from past indiscretions that things like that can get ugly in a hurry. Everybody has their own agenda and that included herself.

  She had this dream in the back her mind that she wanted to retire on a secluded island or maybe on a sailboat. Shelley knew that it was only a pipe dream and that her life was pretty much dictated by a bullet with her name on it

  She had bought her clothing at the boutique that catered to those of a more sophisticated taste. It wasn’t expensive, but was something that she felt was choking off her air supply. The black blazer, the white blouse and the knee length black skirt really didn’t suit her. She looked in the mirror, making herself believe the story that she was about to tell those at customs. She could immerse herself into a fitting role like getting into a warm bath on a sunny afternoon. Sometimes, she felt like she was losing a part of herself, but that only came with the need to separate her feelings from what she did.

  Before long, she was on board a plane that was soon taxiing into the Washington State. It was said to be a hot spot for political activists and back dealings in alleys that most likely were in offices. She never did like this city, but she was going to force herself to walk through streets that had haunted her for years. Each step outside of the concourse made her a little lightheaded and memories that had long been buried came flooding back in a hurry.

  She remembered the fire, burning her skin and that permanent reminder of that scar up her left arm that indicated that she had been in the fight of her life.

  She picked up the Manila envelope, perused the contents one more time and then tossed the whole thing into the trash. She had ripped it up into tiny pieces, making sure that there was really no way for anybody to know what exactly she was doing. They would need many hours to put it all together again and by then, her business here would
be over and she would be long gone, before they even realized that she was the suspect that they were looking for.

  “I need you to drive me around for the next three days. I’m willing to pay you $10,000, but only if you keep your mouth shut and not say anything to anybody. If you can do that, then there’ll be a bonus of another 10,000 dollars at the end of this transaction. That would give you $20,000 for three days work. I think that you would be a damn fool to turn that down.” “I had already walked by several other taxi drivers and I didn’t get a good feeling from them. This one named Nicholas looked to be ready and available for just about anything. I could see the hardened eyes, the way that he shifted nervously in his seat like he knew that somebody was going to come looking for him any day. It didn’t hurt that he was quite good looking, but I never mix business with pleasure.” Shelley watched his eyes and saw them light up like the 4th of July with dollar signs dancing in his eyes.

  He had thinning brown hair, which he was constantly combing over to make it look like that premature balding was not something that was hereditary in his family.

  He looked at this Asian tempest, her dark hair and short petite figure and had immediate visions of what it would be like to have her wrapped around his waist. She was offering a good deal and something that his gambling habit had predicated him working two jobs. That $15,000 debt would be wiped out and there would be no need for those that were shady to come to his house and give him a reminder.

  “I do believe that you have a deal.” Shelley told him where her hotel was located and there was not even a word spoken the entire trip. Her mind was this steel trap and she was going over the pertinent details of who this Brent person was. From everything that she read, he was a dedicated officer with the navy. He joined when he was 18 and now turning 25, he had already had several medals. One was for bravery and most of his missions were redacted, so that nobody knew exactly what they entailed. She was a little leery about the man himself. He seemed cloistered, willing to do whatever it took for his country and not having anything to keep him from risking his life.

  This was a man that had nothing to lose and was willing to throw it all on the line for the chance to impress those that were higher up.

  The mission was pretty easy and she was to eliminate the target and make sure that he was not able to deliver the package. The package was to be taken and sent by courier to a P.O Box in Missouri. After she had taken care of that, her job would be done and she could move on to the next one without complications or anything to stand in her way.

  “I’ll be back down here tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM and I expect you to be here. Punctuality is very important to me and I have a schedule to meet and I expect you to adhere to my wishes.” She knew his name, but did not want to say it, in case he decided that gave him an opening to idle chitchat. “I’m only getting him to do this for me, because I need somebody that I can at least control like a puppet on a string. Whatever his money woes are, will be more than enough to make him my loyal lapdog. He’ll come when he calls, panting and begging for attention and if he misbehaves, then he will get more than a rolled up newspaper on the top of his nose.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me. The kind of money that you are spending is going to get you exactly what you want.” He was wearing this old threadbare suede brown jacket that had seen better days. His wife had left him and he was now feeling what it was like to fall into the bottle. He had recently quit drinking, but that didn’t stop him from his other vise of gambling on sports or anything else that he could get his hands on. Most times, he could pull himself out, but this time he had gotten in over his head and he was going to need an immediate influx of cash. “I’ll be here at the curb tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM.” He was already counting the money in his head and thinking about what kind of extravagance he would afford himself with the extra $5000 left over after the debt was paid.

  “Make sure you are or there will be consequences to your actions.” Shelley made sure to give him that evil eye. It made him shiver to the very notion that she wasn’t just talking about taking away payment. “I’m a woman that always gets what she wants one way or the other.” She slammed the door and walked with her high heels and that briefcase over her shoulder. It was a leather black one and when she stepped through the door of the hotel, her demeanor changed to a more sedate young woman.

  Standing at the counter and waiting her turn was not one of her finest moments. She wanted to pull the girl by her hair and slam her down onto the floor, so hard that her skull would. She was complaining about the air conditioning not working and it was in the middle of October. The temperature outside didn’t come up anywhere near air conditioning weather. If she was acting as Shelly, she would have been more impatient, but Kelly was more meek and mild. She was the type to let people walk all over her.

  Shelley finally got her room that was specifically reserved for her. It was the room that she needed to be in. Jackson was courteous enough to arrange all of this, including the party favors that couldn’t go with her through customs.

  The room was pleasant enough, but it was only a room. There was nothing special about it. She would only use it to sleep and she did very little of that. Being a light sleeper make her senses well honed and ready to strike like a cobra when necessary.

  She took out her case, which was underneath the bed, as requested. She was quite proficient with any weapon and the one that she had chosen for this particular occasion was a high caliber rifle. She brought it to the window and used the viewfinder to target the room directly across from her. It was in another hotel, but this was the perfect vantage point to see her target and get a feel for who he was. He had not arrived yet and then she had a delicious idea of how to get close without having to leave questions in her wake.

  Chapter 2

  He had arrived and he had a sliver briefcase in his hand. He had it handcuffed to his wrist. He was wearing a suit and Brent felt like the tie around his neck was a noose. He wanted to pull free from it, but he knew that he’s supposed to be playing it cool. Being low profile is not something that he was used to. He was always the one that was first into a firefight. He never believed in asking anybody to do something that he couldn’t do himself.

  “You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.” He had only come down for a drink to unwind a little, but now he was seeing this beautiful Asian woman with the kindest eyes. “I came over from the hotel across the street. I heard good things about the martinis here and I wanted to find out if the reviews were right. I’m not one to brag, but I make better ones than these.” Brent had always been suspicious about women that made advances out of the blue. For some reason, he didn’t care and his guard was lowered by the casual way that she had touched his knee. It seemed like an accident, but there was also something calculating about every move that she made. There was no wasted motion.

  “That’s a bold claim to make. Maybe you haven’t given this place the chance that it deserves.” For the first time in his life, Brent felt like he didn’t belong. He could tell that this woman was mysterious and that there was something strangely erotic about those liquid green eyes.

  “I would say that since you sat down, this martini has been tasting better and better.” “I don’t want to come on too strong, but he really is a tasty little dish that deserves to be eaten hot. He’s got this air of strength and courage and it doesn’t hurt that he’s built like a brick you know what. His shoulders are huge, his chest is well defined and I can only imagine, but I think that I will not be surprised if I see a six pack underneath his tight clothing. I’ve had attractions before, but this one has really turned my head. It could be that he’s wearing this cologne that makes him catnip for the ladies. It could be that he has this natural charisma that shines through and is probably the reason why he has become a leader.”

  “You’re being very sweet, but I really do have to get back to my room.” Brent tried to take his hand away from the bar, but her fingerna
ils dug into his wrist and made him turn towards her. There was this immediate spark that had suddenly turned into a full blown blaze between both of their legs. He couldn’t stop staring at her and he swallowed hard with no idea of what he was going to say next. “I think that maybe you should come upstairs and show me your skills with a martini. I have a full stocked bar and I’m sure that whatever we don’t have, we can have brought to the room.” Brent was on a mission, but he felt this heat and the only way to quench it was to take matters into his own hands.

  “I think that is a wonderful idea. In case my bartending skills are not to your liking, I believe that I will bring a bottle of champagne along for the ride.” “I didn’t think that it was going to be this easy. I would’ve thought that he would have had more willpower than to be seduced by any woman that came onto him. I do admit that it’s going to be interesting to take a look at what the government would consider a man that was able to take care of himself. I’ve had run ins with those of the armed forces in the past and you wouldn’t know it, but most of them really did have a physique that was worthy of any kind of competition or battle. They also had this desire for survival at any cost. I was going to have to watch out for that with Brent.”

  They were both sizing each other up, staring at each other and straying their eyes from the bottom of their shoes, all the way up to the top of their heads. They were both trained to watch out for any anomalies.

  Brent didn’t see any semblance of a weapon on her, but didn’t mean that she didn’t have something concealed from his prying eyes. He wanted more than anything to take a moment to frisk her and he could imagine what his fingers would feel like on her velvet skin. The way that his fingertips would glide effortlessly up the inside of her thigh and to her wet and hot to the touch panties made him itch to do just that. He’d already envisioned that they would be red, a secret kink that she hid from the rest of the world.